Order of worship is below.
EVENING PRAYER for EASTER
Vespers
(Lutheran Book of Worship, page 142)
Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
We are illumined by the brightness of his rising.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Death has no more dominion over us.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Joyous light of glory:
of the immortal Father;
heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ.
We have come to the setting of the sun,
and we look to the evening light.
We sing to God, the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit:
You are worthy of being praised
with pure voices forever.
O Son of God, O Giver of life:
The universe proclaims your glory.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who led your people Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night: Enlighten our darkness by the light of your Christ; may his Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for you are merciful, and you love your whole creation, and we, your creatures, glorify you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen
Let my prayer rise before you as incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
O Lord, I call to you; come to me quickly;
hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer rise before you as incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord,
and guard the door of my lips.
Let not my heart incline to any evil thing;
let me not be occupied in wickedness with evildoers.
But my eyes are turned to you, Lord God;
in you I take refuge. Strip me not of my life.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Let my prayer rise before you as incense;
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Silence for meditation.
Let the incense of our repentant prayer ascend before you, O Lord, and let your lovingkindness descend upon us, that with purified minds we may sing your praises with the Church on earth and the whole heavenly host, and may glorify you forever and ever.
Amen
Psalm 115 Non nobis, Domine
1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your | name give glory;*
because of your love and because | of your faithfulness.
2 Why should the | heathen say,*
"Where then | is their God?"
3 Our God | is in heaven;*
whatever he wills to | do he does.
4 Their idols are sil- | ver and gold,*
the work of | human hands.
5 They have mouths, but they | cannot speak;*
eyes have they, but they | cannot see;
6 they have ears but they | cannot hear;*
noses, but they | cannot smell;
7 they have hands, but they cannot feel;
feet, but they | cannot walk;*
they make no sound | with their throat.
8 Those who make | them are like them,*
and so are all who put their | trust in them.
9 O Israel, trust | in the Lord;*
he is their help | and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust | in the Lord;*
he is their help | and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust | in the Lord;*
he is their help | and their shield.
12 The Lord has been mindful of us, and | he will bless us;*
he will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the | house of Aaron;
13 he will bless those who | fear the Lord,*
both small and | great together.
14 May the Lord increase you | more and more,*
you and your children | after you.
15 May you be blessed | by the Lord,*
the maker of heav- | en and earth.
16 The heaven of heavens | is the Lord's,*
but he entrusted the earth | to its peoples.
17 The dead do not | praise the Lord,*
nor all those who go down | into silence;
18 but we will | bless the Lord,*
from this time forth forevermore. | Hallelujah!
The proper psalm prayer is said, to which the congregation responds: Amen
Hymn Christ is Made the Sure Foundation
1 Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ, our head and cornerstone,
chosen of the Lord and precious,
binding all the church in one;
holy Zion’s help forever
and our confidence alone.
2 To this temple, where we call you,
come, O Lord of hosts, and stay;
come with all your lovingkindness,
hear your people as they pray;
and your fullest benediction
shed within their hearts today.
3 Grant, we pray, to all your faithful
all the gifts they ask to gain;
what they gain from you, forever
with the blessed to retain;
and hereafter in your glory
evermore with you to reign.
4 Praise and honor to the Father,
praise and honor to the Son,
praise and honor to the Spirit,
ever three and ever one:
one in might and one in glory
while unending ages run!
Text: Latin hymn, c. 7th cent.; tr. John M. Neale, 1818-1866, alt.
Lesson
2Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in scripture:
“See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”7To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the very head of the corner,”8and
“A stone that makes them stumble,
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
4Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in scripture:
“See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”7To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the very head of the corner,”8and
“A stone that makes them stumble,
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
Silence for meditation.
Response
In many and various ways
God spoke to his people of old by the prophets.
But now in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.
The GOSPEL CANTICLE is sung.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm;
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen
The LITANY is sung.
In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For all who offer today their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For Dan, our bishop; for your unworthy servant; for all pastors in Christ, for all servants of the Church, and for all the people, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For our public servants, for the government and those who protect us, that they may be upheld and strengthened in every good deed, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those who work to bring peace, justice, health, and protection in this and every place, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those who bring offerings, those who do good works in this congregation, those who toil, those who sing, and all the people here present who await from the Lord great and abundant mercy, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For favorable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and need, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the faithful who have gone before us and are at rest, let us give thanks to the Lord.
Alleluia.
Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
Silence for meditation.
Rejoicing in the fellowship of all the saints, let us commend ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ, our Lord.
To you, O Lord.
O God, form the minds of your faithful people into a single will. Make us love what you command and desire what you promise, that, amid all the changes of this world, our hearts may be fixed where true joy is found; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen
We pray to you, almighty God, in this time of pandemic. You are our refuge and our strength, a very present help in time of trouble. Do not let us fail in the face of these events. Uphold us with your love, and give us the strength we need. Help us in our confusion, and guide our actions. Heal the sick, console the bereaved and afflicted, protect the innocent and helpless, and deliver all who are in peril; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
O God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments; and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God forever.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn The Day You Gave Us, Lord, Has Ended
Lutheran Book of Worship 274
1 The day you gave us, Lord, has ended;
the darkness falls at your behest.
To you our morning hymns ascended;
your praise shall hallow now our rest.
2 We thank you that your church, unsleeping
while earth rolls onward into light,
through all the world its watch is keeping,
and never rests by day or night.
3 As to each continent and island
the dawn leads on another day,
the voice of prayer is never silent,
nor dies the strain of praise away.
4 The sun, here having set, is waking
your children under western skies,
and hour by hour, as day is breaking,
fresh hymns of thankful praise arise.
5 So be it, Lord; your realm shall never,
like earth's proud empires, pass away;
but stand and grow and rule forever,
till all your creatures own your sway.
Text: John Ellerton, 1826-1893, alt.
Sermon
Prayer and Benediction
Lord God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve you.
Amen
